Headline News - November 2003
TK ASSAULT THWARTED! Posted By: Brody Article: NOV03-1 Reported To: INN Reported On: Tomin Kora Reported At: Sun Nov 02 08:24:37 3003 SHADOWHEART, TOMIN KORA - Bizarre incidents are rather commonplace on Tomin Kora. But last night, the domed city of Shadowheart saw perhaps the strangest incident ever.An assault force from Sivad, guided by Captain David Ransom Porter of the UKT Athena, secured the landing aerie, neutralized guards, and then detonated a massive explosion beneath the landmark Cabrerra Industries building. Hundreds of witnesses watched as the 14-story-tall building collapsed, taking the Last Call Tavern with it.Then, suddenly, the destruction appeared to reverse itself until both the tavern and the Cabrerra Industries building stood untarnished once more. A great spectral hand materialized above the Aurora Strand, and the voice of Majordomo Grim boomed across the city before Porter and dozens of soldiers decomposed in strings in blue light - and others vanished, becoming prisoners of Grim.Their location and fate remain unknown at this hour. Transport Misplaced? Posted By: Russkaya Article: NOV03-2 Reported To: UIS Reported On: Ungstir Reported At: Tue Nov 04 19:44:48 3003 SHADOWHEART,TOMIN KORA: Field representatives of Kachirtskii Information Technologies, publishers of Tanya's All the Worlds Starships, report that a recent addition to the Cabrerra Industries rolling stock, the Paris class transport Athena, has turned up ... missing."Yah, ah saw it happen ..." claimed one of the Aerie's residents, " ... I mean, like, Cabrerra's folks were all over it, an it was locked right up tight. They checked it up an down, an even broght in tha' Interrogator-onna-Leash tha' belongs to tha Boss. It wasas empty as a wallet after th boys had come round. But everybody 'ere knows tha' the ship must be haunted or somethin, for as Grim's my witness, I was lookin' raht into those big forward view screens, an there was no one at all on tha bridge when she up an climbed for the stars ..."While Cabrerra Industries representatives attribute stories of a ship flying by itself to the close proximity of the Last Call Tavern, they refused to comment on the fact that the late Captain David Ransom Porter's ship was no longer on the landing pad, where it belonged.-- Dominic Koromov, UIS Cabrerra losses substantial Posted By: Brody Article: NOV03-3 Reported To: INN Reported On: Tomin Kora Reported At: Thu Nov 06 00:01:22 3003 SHADOWHEART, TOMIN KORA - Although Majordomo Grim managed to reverse the destruction of the Cabrerra Industries building after an attack last weekend, it seems he could not undo other significant damage.Hundreds of CI employees died in the building's collapse, including, sources tell INN, Boss Cabrerra."It is apparent that the majordomo can only revive inanimate objects, and cannot resurrect the dead," said Anson Wilton-Hyde of the Enaj Paranormal Institute on Sivad. Indefatigable and fighter wing rescue prisoners Posted By: Brody Article: NOV03-4 Reported To: INN Reported On: Tomin Kora Reported At: Sun Nov 09 09:19:58 3003 SHADOWHEART - Pilots of a joint Sivadian-Ungstir starfighter corps, with help from the Royal Naval Service carrier Indefatigable, last night flew a daring mission to rescue survivors of a doomed sabotage mission on Tomin Kora.The Indefatigable pounded the dome of Shadowheart with cannon fire, forcing Majordomo Grim to focus his attention on preserving the dome's integrity. Meanwhile, the fighter group infiltrated the city, blew open the top of the Cabrerra Sports Forum and rescued the sabotage squad survivors, who had been attached to steel crosses throughout the arena.The crosses had been rigged to electrocute the prisoners should the arena's dome suffer a breach, but witnesses say the wires popped loose at the last second.As the rescue wrapped up, a rockhopper carrying a single low-yield plasma bomb rocketed toward the arena, but a fighter knocked the hopper off course, sending it toward the Cabrerra Industries building. The CI building was destroyed - again. But, so far, it appears to have stayed down this time. Archbishop- Sivad to Ordain Specialists Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-5 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Tue Nov 11 13:08:30 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ The Church of Sivad should ordain specialist ministers, according to Geoffrey Pontefract, Archbishop of Enaj. The Archbishop, as Primate of All Sivad, convened a General Synod to discuss the matter of specialist ordination, and scheduled the opening session for 15 November 3003."And so, at the opening session of the General Synod, it is my intention, on behalf of the SivAnglican Communion, to change the law of our Church, and find and ordain specialist ministers to serve the needs of the faithful.", Pontefract said in a brief statement this Sunday. However, the most spectacular claim the Archbishop made was that, "if specialists are to be ordained, then, quite simply, specialists must have a soul.""This is a bold step, for which we applaud the Lord Archbishop." said Neville Cheevers of the Institute for Specialist Studies, "It recognizes what we have known for a long time- specialists are in almost every respect human." Others, however, disagree. While the First Councillor's office has thusfar respected the historical neutrality of the Council of Equals on religious matters, sources within 10 Dorling Street suspect that the Conservative Party would attempt to disestablish the Church of Sivad if the proposed cannonical changes pass. Already, the Council of Equals has begun to divide into the disesbablishmentarian and antidisestablishmentarian camps.Isherwood House was unwilling to comment on the matter, though King Richard, as constitutional head of the Church of Sivad, will be present to convene the Synod./Neville McNamara, SBS/ "Nonsense " says UoE Professor Opposes Change of Church Law Posted By: Khamura Article: NOV03-6 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Tue Nov 11 13:29:06 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ The opinion of the Church of Sivad, that Specialists must have souls, has met oppositon in many layers of Sivadian society. The academic circles are in heated debate on the whether-or-not, a question that sunders faculties and even departments. Professor Annabelle Aikawa-Gordi of the Department of Posthuman Studies at the University of Enaj recently came forward with a harsh rebuke of Archbishop Pontefract's initiative to change Church law. The UoE Department incorporates the Department of Cybernetics, AI Research, and furthermore a department of Specialist Studies unrelated to the Institute of the same name."What the Archbishop has said is quite simply nonsense," the professor told reporters. "Specialists are, from a purely scientific standpoint, not human, in the same way that primates are not. Chimpanzees and Bonobos share, as is widely known, ninety-nine percent of their genes with humans, but I have yet to hear a man of the Church demand that we ordain them as ministers. To ask the question of whether or not Specialists have a soul is to overlook an older question, namely, do the higher and lower primates have a soul? The answer has been 'no' throughout history, be it that of the Church of Sivad or any other religious community since Darwin's theory became generally accepted. The soul is God's gift to Man. Man made Specialists, just as Man made cars, computers, and weapons of mass destruction -- none of which possess a soul, and no one has ever claimed otherwise. It is one thing to argue for Specialist rights, but to pose the question whether a Specialist possesses a soul can only be the result of advancing senility."/Evelyn Brody, SBS/ Sinclair Murder Trial to Begin on Sivad Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-7 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Wed Nov 12 12:04:33 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ The Crown Prosecution Service announced today that it was seeking indictment for willful murder against Dmitri Volstov. Volstov, who had been calling himself Ashton Sinclair for the past six months or more, is believed to be responsible for the killing of the real Ashton Sinclair, who's body was found washed up on Ynos. Volstov has been confined in the prison ward of the Enaj Treatment Centre since he was returned to Sivad, apparently badly beaten."We feel that the circumstantial evidence in this case is very strong. The element of impersonation and fraud, and the timely discovery of Sinclair's body all point to this as a murder." said Commissioner Robert G. Hardie of SHIELD. The Crown Prosecution Service has retained the eminent Enaj Firm of Cavendish, Godfrey, Mack to prosecute the case on behalf of the Crown. An initial hearing will occur within 48 hours of the filing of the indictment in Courtroom 1 of the Enaj Courthouse before Mr. Justice Latimer./Neville McNamara, SBS/ First Consul in coma! Posted By: Brody Article: NOV03-8 Reported To: INN Reported On: Mars Reported At: Wed Nov 12 21:21:03 3003 HESPERIA, MARS - Martian First Consul Darian Ellesmere collapsed just minutes before a scheduled speech tonight at Avocet Spaceport and lapsed into a coma.Initial test results show the Martian leader is suffering from a mutated and potentially deadly strain of the Nexus Curse."We're not talking about a mild flu anymore," said Marcus Phelps, personal physician to the First Consul. "Consul Ellesmere hadn't even been suffering from the Nexus Curse before this. Although he had been a carrier of the virus, he had seemed fine, until tonight."The First Consul is listed in critical condition. Hesperia Medical Center is now open around the clock, bringing in added staff to help administer tests for this new strain of the Nexus Curse."We're talking about an entirely new ballgame here, when it comes to the virus," Phelps said. "Whatever cure Majordomo Grim thinks he can offer us in exchange for those artifacts might only work for the mild strain. It may be useless for the new form. And, if that's true, then we are on our own. If we can't cure this ourselves, we may see millions of permanent coma victims." King Vetoes Specialist Ministers Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-9 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Tue Nov 18 22:50:08 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ King Richard will not permit specialist ministers in the Church of Sivad. The Church Fathers adopted the proposed changes in a narrow vote during the opening session of the General Synod, but the King immidately stated that he would not ratify the measure. Citing fears of schism and specialist tensions during the ongoing war with the Solar Consortium, His Majesty exercised his authority as Supreme Head of the Church of Sivad to prevent specialist ordinations.The decision, which was carried by less than thirty of the three hundred votes present, followed a spirited debated involving professors, lawyers, aristocrats, and theologians. Professor Aikawa-Gordi of the University of Enaj, one of the strongest opponents of the proposed ordinations, debated proponents, such as Earl Beauchamp and the Archbishop of Enaj.While the King has effectively blunted the issue of specialist ordinations, two larger issues arise from his actions. Primarily, the Church Fathers, in voting for ordinations, have definitively decided that specialists are possessing of a soul. Additionally, King Richard's actions make possible a constitutional crisis, as the Government's, and indeed the King's, historical neutrality in matters of religion has been upset. The possible far reaching effects of these two issues remain to be seen./Neville McNamara, SBS/ FC to Introduce Waldheim Legislation Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-10 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Tue Nov 18 23:22:23 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ First Councillor Fredrick Chamberlain will introduce legislation to impose colonial government on Waldheim, 10 Dorling Street announced today. The proposed act calls for Waldheim to have limited home rule under a Sivadian viceroy, but would open trade and tourism routes to the occupied planet almost immidately, and would provide for the maintaince of most of the indigenous political structure. It is expected that the act will be given first reading at tommorow morning's session of the Council and will be debated next week.Waldheim has been in Sivadian hands since a disasterous first contact almost six months ago resulted in a firefight between Sivadian marines and indigenous paramilitary police. Though the Royal Naval Service has had a presence in space, and has occupied the landing pad of Waldheim's capital city, the Sivadian presence has been highly limited.Reaction to the announcement has been mixed. "Sivad was taking no action on Waldheim to appease our allies." said Professor Arthur Robinson of the Dorling School of Government at the University of Ynos, "Our allies, however, have not been contributing to the War effort. Not even so much as letters of encouragement. Perhaps First Councillor Chamberlain feels its time to look out for number one, as it were. Certainly, this will benefit both us and the Waldheimers, and its likely the population would barely notice the change." Others, however, disagree, "This is an outrageous, overreaching sort of imperialism such as we have never seen on Sivad," remarked a member of the Foreign Service who wished to remain anonymous, "It is going to be very difficult to negotiate with anyone after this. Not that they're beating down our door as it is."/Neville McNamara, SBS/ Sivad to Celebrate Founding Day Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-11 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sat Nov 22 13:34:19 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ November 17, 3003 was the eight-hundred forty-third anniversary of the founding of Sivad. While the bank holiday was this Monday, most of Sivad will celebrate today, at the annual Founding Day Ball, to be held for the first time in a quarter century at Isherwood House. Already, rumours are circulating that specialist rights organizations will demonstrate in Churchill Park in answer to King Richard's veto of the specialist minister measure last week. SHIELD and the Royal Household are on increased alert, and patrol bots have been stationed throughout the park and palace grounds."This is the time in which we celebrate our traditions and heritage," said the official proclamation signed by The King, "and fulfill our promise to Edward Sivad to keep the flame of independence alive on the planet that now bears his name." The First Councillor echoed the sentiment in an official statement from 10 Dorling Street, adding that, "We also celebrate the sacrifices of our fine men and women who defend us in this time of war. Sivad is proud of them." In fact, many members of the Royal Naval Service have been granted leave in order to attend the festivities.The ball will begin at 8:00 Sivad Mean Time at ISherwood House. Dress is white tie./Neville McNamara, SBS/ New Culture Minister Appointed Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-12 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sat Nov 22 15:45:26 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Arron Oshbury, recently elected to the Council of Equals from Atrebla, has been appointed Minister for Culture, Media, Tourism, and Sport in Sir Fredrick Chamberlain's cabinet, replacing Rt. Hon. Jazen Katol, who is described as being "on a prolonged leave of absence" from his Council duties.Hailing from the largely rural provinces, Oshbury has only recently entered politics, previously occupying himself with a wide variety of charities and social events. He was elected to his seat following the resignation of it's previous holder. He is expected to assume his ministerial duties immidiately./Neville McNamara, SBS/ Protests on Sivad Posted By: Admiralty Museum Article: NOV03-13 Reported To: INN Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sun Nov 23 14:53:32 3003 /Grand Enaj: Sivad/Rumors of planned Specialist Rights protests at the Sivad Founding Day celebrations proved true last night, as demonstrators surrounded Isherwood House in protest of King Richards decision to disallow Specialist ministers in the church of Sivad. SHIELD was on hand with officers and patrol bots, pre-warned by the rumors leading up to the event, and kept the demonstrators away from the palace proper.The protest remained spirited, but peaceful throughout, with only an occasional incident marring the SHIELD enforced calm.*An image is shown of SHIELD officers tackling a man from the Palace gates. A banner dropping from the gates where he attempted to place it marked, 'FREE SPECIALISTS NOW! END SLAVERY'*All levels of Sivadian society attended the protest, from business executives right down to Nuns. Nuns from the SivAnglican church in fact, held a candlelight vigil beneath the outer palace walls to pray for the alleged souls of specialists, the Nuns remained surrounded by SHIELD patrol bots at all times. Those Sivadian officials who commented made statements that they were in full support of King Richards decision, one claiming that the protests show the utmost disrespect towards the King, and a RNS Midshipman going so far as to toss thrown fruit back at the protestors, obviously upset by their views. But few were willing to speak up about the protests, literally, in their own backyard. Specialist rights does seem to be the hot topic on Sivad. Only time will show how this problem will be addressed. Though the current Sivadian Government position has been stated quite clearly by King Richard, and a change is not evident on the horizon./Draiel Craten, INN/ Protests Mar Founding Day Ball Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-14 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sun Nov 23 15:26:42 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Protestors infiltrated the Founding Day Ball yesterday, breaking several windows in Isherwood House and burning a figure of King Richard in effigy. Power was also disconnected to much of the palace grounds during the evening.In contrast to the peaceful protests outside the gates, this invasion was met with a rapid SHIELD response, but despite a full-scale search with Hovercopters, no suspects could be located. The burned effigy was removed and taken to the SHIELD laboratories for study. "We are making this case our highest priority." said SHIELD Commissioner Robert G. Hardie, "Clearly, we fear another attack upon the King's life by these specialist 'liberation' people."Isherwood House declined to comment on the events, saying only that they were "saddened" by the disruption in the celebration and that the matter of specialists was "being carefully considered by His Majesty's government."/Neville McNamara, SBS/ Trade Minister Appointed Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-15 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sun Nov 23 15:52:36 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Brian DelMarenno, well-known land developer and former footballer, has won the Grand Enaj riding bye-election and been appointed as Minister of Trade an Industry by First Councillor Chamberlain. This is one of several recent cabinet appointments as the Conservative Party attempts to replace seats and ministers lost to Wallace Marbury's specialist assassins, including one-time Trade Minister Alexander Waldorf.DelMarenno is best known for his abortive attempts to develop a private community on Regreb Bay. He threw his hat in the ring for a Council seat after returning from Portmeirion with the party that rescued King Richard, despite being confined to the hospital with severe frostbite. He is expected to assume his Ministerial duties as soon as he can be medically cleared to return to work./Neville McNamara, Sivadian Press/ Sivad to Host Medical Conference Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-16 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Mon Nov 24 16:34:22 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ The Sivadian Government will host a conference on the "Nexus Curse", 10 Dorling Street announced following the cabinet meeting last evening. Based on a joint proposal by Earl Beauchamp, the Minister of Health, and Arron Oshbury, the Minister of Culture, Media, Tourism, and Sport, the meeting, to be held next week, will be open to all medical and scientific personnel studying the virus to permit, as Lord Beauchamp said, "a free and open exchange of information and ideas in furtherance of a cure."The meeting will convene at the Enaj Convention Centre on Saturday. All participants will be granted full access to the laboratories of the Enaj Treatment Centre. The virus, referred to as the "nexus curse", has effected hundreds of thousands throughout the galaxy with symptoms ranging from a mild flu to coma, apparently the result of a mutated strain. Thus far, all efforts at finding a cure have been unsuccessful./Neville McNamara, SBS/ Waldheim Bill Given First Reading Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-17 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Mon Nov 24 16:53:46 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ The proposed Waldheim Government Act was approved by the Cabinet at their meeting Sunday and recieved first reading in the Council of Equals this morning. The act calls for the appointment of a Sivadian Viceroy to oversee the native administration of Waldheim, and will provide for Sivad's defense of Waldheim, including a permamant RNS facility. Transportation lines between Waldheim and Sivad will be opened immidately for both trade and personal travel. Waldheim will also be granted access to current FTL travel research. To increase native support for the bill, the President of Waldheim, Friedrich Neuwaldt, will be summoned to Sivad for the Council meeting.First Reading represents the first step in the process towards eventual passage of the law, and is a purely formal step in which the title of the bill is read into the record of the Council. Actual debate will occur following the second reading, which is scheduled for a full council meeting to occur on 30 November 2003 at 8:00 p.m.. First Councillor Sir Fredrick Chamberlain has called a three line whip of the Conservative Party for the vote, guarenteeing passage if all 13 Conservative Councillors vote at the party's direction./Neville McNamara, SBS/ Archaeologist planning quest for lost world Posted By: Brody Article: NOV03-18 Reported To: INN Reported On: Quaquan Reported At: Tue Nov 25 17:01:24 3003 FOUR CORNERS, QUAQUAN - Archaeologist Stephen Sixmoon wants to find the lost planet of Palisade."Current research suggests that this world was one of the original Kamir footholds in our galaxy," Sixmoon told INN. "So, there is simply no telling what sorts of mysteries might be unlocked, what technology and artifacts might be discovered, if we could find Palisade."Legend holds that the planet, possibly in or near the Tomin Nebula, suffered a major cataclysm that laid waste to the surface.Not everyone believes in the legend, however. Said skeptic Maurice Levalien of the University of Enaj, "While I understand Doctor Sixmoon's fanciful dreaming about the possibilities of Palisade, it is highly unlikely that such a world, if it exists, could have gone so long without being discovered. This seems especially true when you consider that Majordomo Grim, believed to be of some relation to the Kamir, has manifested on Tomin Kora rather than some other more favorable world. Of course, Tomin Kora is a desolate planet outside that dome over Shadowheart. Perhaps we already have found the mystical world of Palisade."Sixmoon doesn't let the skepticism slow him down: "This mission will move forward, once I have acquired funding to hire a ship and exploration crew." Ship Lost In Castor Storm Posted By: Gallahad Article: NOV03-19 Reported To: INN Reported On: Castor Reported At: Fri Nov 28 23:44:36 3003 URSINIRU - A small shuttle craft belonging to the Applied Starship Technology Development and Research Project's flagship was lost into the Castori rainforest today as it was on final approach, according to Ursiniru Flight Control.The dropship, carrying a small crew on a mission to Ursiniru, was hit by a large microburst from a line of thunderstorms passing over the area at the time of the crash. Authorities are not sure of the survival status of the crew. The ship landed in an extremely dense section of the forest. GF Imposes Weapon Limits on Luna Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-20 Reported To: INN Reported On: Luna Reported At: Sat Nov 29 15:00:21 3003 /Sirsalis City, Luna/ No personal weapons larger than a pistol will be permited on Guardian Fleet controlled Luna, Colonel Bastiaan du Plessis decreed today. Also banned are all plasma weapons, all pistols classified as "assault", grenades, explosives, and full-body armour, such as marine armour. "This is in an effort to make Luna a safer, more secure part of the Solar community. The people must trust in the Guardian Fleet, not in their own weapons, to protect them." said the Colonel's order imposing the new laws on Luna.The weapons bans go into effect immidately. Punishments for violation range from fine and confiscation to death, if the illegal weapons are used against Guardian Fleet personnel. Those weapons already on Luna must be surrendered to the nearest Guardian Fleet office for destruction by midnight, Sunday, November 30./Michael West, INN/ Nexus Curse Breakthrough Announced at Conference Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-21 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sat Nov 29 22:31:11 3003 /Sanjuni, Sivad/ The interstellar conference on the Nexus Plague was sparsely attended, but not short on important announcements, as Surgeon-Commander John P. Lind, President of the RCPS and chief presenter, outlined the progress that Sivadian and Royal Navy teams had made on the mysterious virus.Lind announced that, "We managed to sequence virus just three days ago, and have discovered some interesting phenomina." He then outlined the major discoveries about what he characterized as "the enemy", including it's presence in the bone marrow of subjects, as well as the resultant change in blood chemistry which are the basis of the Sivadian test for the nexus plague. He also announced that the virus mutated repeatedly, with over one hundred variations appearing in the samples drawn by Sivadian medical teams. He stated that the next step is the location of "patient zero" and an attempt to isolate the original nexus strain.Though the virus mutates quickly, research has also revealed a stable core portion of the virus that has, thusfar, remained constant. When questioned by Minister of Health Lord Beauchamp on this announcement, Lind remarked that he suspects this is the source of the virus' heath effects, but this was merely an "educated guess."The nexus curse first surfaced as a hospital on La Terre, and is characterized by flu like symptoms of increasing severity, and possible coma. Dr. Melissa Fernandez, a member of the Sivad team, is attempting to obtain release of the original victim's medical records in order to locate "patient zero", the first to be infected with the virus. Commander Lind's results have been uploaded to the Enaj Treatment Centre's datanet and are available to all researchers and medical personnel./Neville McNamara, SBS/ Cabinet Reshuffle in CoE Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-22 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sun Nov 30 00:50:25 3003 /Grand Enaj/ A reshuffle in the Sivadian Cabinet has brought that body to almost full strength for the first time since the Marbury Specialist Murders. Home Secretary Daniel Arndale, who will remain in that post, has been appointed Deputy First Councillor. Newly-appointed Minister Arron Oshbury has been shifted to the Foreign Office, and two-term Councillor Marcus Gallagher, who holds the conservative Setag seat, has been appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The leaves only the Culture, Media, Tourism, and Sport portfolio still to be filled.Arndale, who has been a stalwart of the frontbench nearly as long as party leader Sir Fredrick Chamberlain, has been Home Secretary under two First Councillors since replacing Peter Delarme nearly two years ago. In a statement from 10 Dorling Street he was praised for his work with SHIELD and in dealing with refugees from Sanctuary and the Nall invasions. Council watchers were suprised only that his promotion to Deputy First Councillor had taken so long.Chancellor Gallagher, a newcomer to the frontbenches, has been twice elected from the small island riding of Setag, which had previously been a nationalist seat. He was a civil servant in the Ministry of Trade and Industry before standing for election, and has risen steadily through the party ranks since his election.Foreign Secretary Oshbury's appointment is perhaps more suprising, as he was only recently elevated to the Culture Portfolio. However, citing "the need to maintain good Sivadian relations with our allies" and "the long period for which the Foreign and Colonies Office has been leaderless", First Councillor Chamberlain approved the switch.The new cabinet officers will take their positions for the Council of Equals meeting tommorow./Neville McNamara, SBS/ Troubled Sivtek CEO in coma Posted By: Brody Article: NOV03-23 Reported To: INN Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sun Nov 30 20:10:53 3003 ENAJ, SIVAD - Peter Delarme, chief executive officer of Sivtek and a member of the Council of Equals until his nervous breakdown two years ago, has fallen into a coma.His condition is confirmed to be the result of the more aggressive strain of the Nexus Curse.Delarme had been through extensive mental rehabilitation after cracking during Sivad's pre-monarchy civil unrest. Sources close to him said that he had been planning a full-time return to business and possibly even politics.A cure for the Nexus Curse remains elusive, although doctors have been making headway in breaking down the inner workings of the virus, according to this weekend's medical conference on Sivad. Waldheim Act Passes Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-24 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sun Nov 30 23:41:15 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ The Sivadian Waldheim Act passed the Council of Equals tonight after a spirited debate, and was rushed to Isherwood House to receive the Royal Assent. The proclamation which the act requires will, as the law requires, be issued within the next thirty days, likely as soon as it is drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel.By the provisions of the bill, Waldheim is now incorporated into the Kingdom of Sivad, and will be ruled by a Sivadian Governor-General and Privvy Council. Waldheimers have been granted Sivadian citizenship and status as a Crown Colony. Waldheim will also adopt the Yojj-Sterling as its currency, and terran standard as its official language. Other than those laws abrogated by the Waldheim Act, all current Waldheim laws will remain in effect.Sivadia Spacelines, which has been granted rights to the first Waldheim-Sivad passenger route, will begin service to the planet within the next three days. All other provisions of the act take effect immidately./Neville McNamara, SBS/ Prometheus To Construct Shipyard Posted By: Danish Article: NOV03-25 Reported To: INN Reported On: Mars Reported At: Mon Dec 01 13:09:18 3003 Elysium, MarsPrometheus Inc., the Martian-based shipbuilding and electronics company, has announced today that they plan to construct a new shipyard--name to be announced--in Mars orbit to replace their older, planetside facility. "After the Moebius shift occured, we left only a skeleton operation in the Hesperia shipyards. With the year spent in the alternate universe, and the recent strain its been put through reconstructing the Guardian Fleet after the devastation around Ganymede, things have started to malfunction repeatedly. Our Engineers have informed us that a completely new, orbital facility is needed to handle the task of constructing and repairing larger vessels. We are going into this project in conjunction with the Guardian Fleet and Mars Defensive Command, and the new shipyard will be upgraded into an automated defensive base to combat the heavy cruisers in the Sivadian fleet." said spokesman Robert Andrews. The construction of the new shipyard will utilize workers and engineers from throughout the Consortium not presently rebuilding the fleet, so that the war effort will not be drained.Claudius Nepo, INN RNS Admiral Killed in Hovercar Crash Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-26 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Tue Dec 02 13:59:59 3003 /Eastern Islands, Sivad/ Vice Admiral Wellington Raleigh, Fifth Space Lord of the Royal Naval Service, was killed late last night when his hovercar careened off the road in the Eastern Islands and plunged into the sea. Though he was rushed by hovercopter to the Retrep Trauma Centre, Raleigh was pronounced dead on arrival.Raleigh was a thirty year veteran of the Royal and Homeland Naval Services. A native of Ynos, he attended the Royal Fleet Academy, and then read law at the University of Enaj. He practiced with the Judge Advocate's Office for several years before being elevated to Esteemed Counsel. In 2999, he was appointed to the Admiralty as Judge Advocate, during which time he presided over the trial of Captain Falkona Devoras, the first court martial in the RNS in nearly twenty years. He became Fifth Space Lord when the Admiralty was reorganized and served in that position until his death.Raleigh will be buried in space with full military honours. He is survived by three brothers and a sister./Neville McNamara, SBS/ Enaj - New Berlin Service Begins Posted By: Aeolus Article: NOV03-27 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Thu Dec 04 20:56:09 3003 /Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Sivadia Spacelines has begun limited service between the capital of Sivad and the largest city on Waldheim, New Berlin. The rapid shuttle service, which departs from the reopened Sivadia terminal in the Independence Dome, is the first of several planned legs amongst the worlds of the Kingdom of Sivad.Other flights have also begun to depart for Waldheim. The Royal Navy's spacelift command has begun to deliver the first portions of the new Royal Naval Base, as well as portions of the future Waldheim House, which will house the Governor-General and colonial administration.Sivad began moving men and material to Waldheim almost immediately after the proclamation required by the Waldheim Act. First Councillor Chamberlain is expected to meet with President Neuwaldt of Waldheim, who arrived shortly after the Council of Equals vote, at the weekend./Neville McNamara, SBS/ GF Heightens Security Posted By: Danish Article: NOV03-28 Reported To: INN Reported On: Mars Reported At: Sun Dec 07 13:03:13 3003 Hesperia, MarsIn an announcement today, the interim military government of the Solar Consortium has deployed security drones on Mars and Luna to help ensure the safety of Consortium citizens. It is hoped this will help to enforce the recent weapons laws on Luna, and aid in the defense of military installations on Mars, as well as the in construction Prometheus Industries shipyard.Claudius Nepo, INN Category:News